Missing Manny

I will leave his surname unsaid in deference to the family's wishes for privacy. But since one of his bosses in the publishing world, Maria Karina Africa Bolasco, has paid her respects to him in this forum, I will follow with my long-delayed tribute of sorts to he who was both colleague and friend, my candy buddy who'd hand me a cube of cloyingly delicious caramel after a blah lunch. Manny became Manni, then switched back to Manny and finally M.G. in the book credits. I was happy and honored to do quick edits for him and Gilda Cordero Fernando, the perfect pair to ever grace the Philippine book universe. For he was that rare creative director--he read the raw manuscripts, gave his insightful inputs (no wonder GCF gave him co-author status in the Bench-sponsored landmark tome Pinoy Pop Culture). In what seemed to have been his last design job (correct me if I'm mistaken, Katya Guerrero), the volume on the life and art of Constancio Bernardo, Manny just had the old man's abstract work wrap both front and back covers, no text whatsoever. That spoke volumes. I will miss opportunities to again be handmaiden to geniuses. For you were one, Manny, and somewhere, sometime I will again play the long-playing vinyl you gave me of Sarah Vaughan singing Michel Legrand compositions. Adieu!